Holidays of Kyrgyzstan - Defender of the Fatherland Day in Kyrgyzstan

Defender of the Fatherland Day is celebrated in Kyrgyzstan, as elsewhere in the post-Soviet space, on February 23 Since 2003, it has been a public holiday and an official day off Its stated goals are: • military-patriotic education of new generations; • creation of conditions for widespread respect for military veterans, as well as the Armed Forces available in the republic The history of the holiday begins in the revolutionary past of Russia It is believed that it was on February 23, 1918 that several units of the Red Guard won the first important victories over the troops of the Kaiser’s Germany near Narva and Pskov This is the official version, although a number of historians claim that no serious military events took place on this day According to a less common version, the date is related to the fact that it marks the beginning of the mass formation of Red Army detachments in Petrograd It is believed that it was a response to Vladimir Lenin’s famous call to defend the fatherland The new holiday quickly acquired a large scale; it was originally called “Red Army Day” In the USSR, already in 1922, it became popular, comparable in popularity to the most famous holidays Various ceremonial events were dedicated to it At the same time, the army and navy were honored In 1949, the name of the holiday was changed to “Day of the Soviet Army and Navy” This name remained until the collapse of the USSR, and after that it was changed to “Defender of the Fatherland Day” The celebration is traditionally accompanied by various militaristic events in the post-Soviet republics In Kyrgyzstan, most of them take place in the capital In Bishkek on this day, a ceremonial formation of the Bishkek garrison takes place on the square in front of the city hall Then the parade begins Military personnel, accompanied by an orchestra, advance from the construction site to the main capital square "Ala-Too" The event traditionally attracts many spectators from among the townspeople and is broadcast on television On Defender of the Fatherland Day in Kyrgyzstan, it is customary to congratulate everyone who is directly related to military service The celebration is not limited to the official part; tables are set in many houses People come to visit and receive guests in large numbers Ceremonial events are also held in educational institutions, starting with kindergartens The boys are congratulated as future defenders of their country in possible conflicts